04-10-2012, 04:47 PM
ROUE OPTIMIZATION ON ROAD NETWORK ANALYSIS
Route Optimization n Road Network Analysis.doc (Size: 224 KB / Downloads: 36)
INTRODUCTION
In Nigeria today we are facing serious problems in the traffic situation due to increasing load (i.e. congestion level of vehicle) on the road. Generally the situation is most critical in urban areas, in which the Port Harcourt metropolis is not an exception. The situation has crippled the transportation system in Port Harcourt and in Nigeria at large, which has lead to it, being termed as an epileptic transportation system. The performance of a transportation system is depending on factors as road network design, geographical constraints, signalization and other means of traffic control.
Traffic congestion is a nightmare and also a relevant societal problem for all drivers who use urban road systems. These include motorist, motorcyclist and truck drivers. In addition, this situation (congestion level) induce loss not only to individuals, but also to many organization, both public and private who rely heavily on the network of roads within a city, such that, disruptions directly impedes the quality of their service. Any solution to this problem would have many potential implications. Passenger vehicle travel time can be minimized, emergency vehicles can find the quickest route to their destination, taxi drivers can deliver their customers faster, and shipping companies can maintain their strict delivery schedules.
Usually there are several perhaps many possible ways to accomplish this task of finding the shortest route to our destination, although some choices will be better than others. We must therefore decide upon the best – or optimal-way to realize our objectives. For example, all of us at one time or the other find it necessary to drive through city traffic. We could attempt to find the shortest possible route from point A to point B without concern for time required to transverse this route.
Alternatively, we could seek out the quickest, though not necessarily the shortest, route from point A and B. As a compromise in this project I attempt finding the shortest path from point A to point B subject to the condition that the transit distance is known (i.e. the transit distance is given).
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Due to the nature of routing applications, and the fact that commuters need to move from one point (source/origin) to the other (destination) at the shortest possible distance, we need flexible and efficient route optimization procedure, both from a processing time point of view and also in terms of accuracy in the result generated. It is against this background that this study “Route Optimization and Road Network Analysis” emerged.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The problems of route optimization (shortest path) are among the most studied network flow optimization problems, with interesting applications in a range of fields. These systems need to quickly solve large shortest path problems, in specific terms, the objectives of this study are:
1. It aims at evaluating the optimal route (shortest path) from a source/ origin to a destination in terms of the distance traveled from that source to the given destination.
2. To identify all possible routes that leads from a source/origin to a destination. In the case of congestion an alternative route can be found.
SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
Conventional techniques for solving shortest paths within large networks cannot be used as they are either too slow or require huge amounts of calculation and its time consuming. In this project I have tried to reduce the runtime of conventional techniques by exploiting the physical structure of the road network and using computer system to implement the network.
This project work is restricted only within a section of Port Harcourt metropolis. The model developed will be implemented using algorithm and flow charts and the computer program will be developed using Visual Basic 6.0.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Algorithm: A prescribed step-by-step procedure, which a computer will take in solving a particular problem.
Congestion Level: The general operating condition of the roadway system generally measured in terms of speed and density of traffic.
Destination: The geographical location where travel ends, often defined by a small area.
Flow Chart: It is a diagrammatic representation of the prescribed steps necessary to solve a particular problem.
Node: A point at which two lines meet or cross. It marks the completion or beginning of a task.
Network: A network is a graph such that a flow can take place in the branch of the graph.
Optimization: This is the art of obtaining best policies to satisfy certain objectives.
Origin: The geographical location where travel begins, often defined by a small area.
Path: This is a sequence of activities starting from the first node to the next node. It represents the route traveled.
Route: The geographical location of the facilities over which an individual travels, often described in terms of a sequence of roadway elements called links.
Traffic: The vehicles that are on the road at a particular time.